The Alpha Protocol: Alpha Protocol Book 1 Duncan Hamilton (affordable ebook reader .TXT) 📖

have gone off in their ship or before they brought it onboard, but either way it’s raspberry jam now, and won’t be able to give away any secrets. I’d like to think we did a bit of damage too.’

Samson didn’t know what to say. He was glad Smith hadn’t told him when he was doing it—there was no way he would have agreed, despite everything. He couldn’t condone what Smith had done, but likewise, couldn’t help but feel relieved that he would never have to wonder what information the alien could have provided its people.

Smith broke the lingering silence. ‘I’ve sent through all the data we pulled out of the alien agitator. I hope it helps.’

‘I’m sure it will,’ Samson said. ‘So, what next for you?’

‘Time to start developing my legitimate businesses. If there’s war coming to the Frontier, there’s plenty of money to be made. Not just from my recently acquired chandler.’

Samson nodded slowly. He didn’t like the notion of making money off the back of conflict, but it wasn’t all bad. Soldiers, sailors, and Marines all needed luxuries and facilities to unwind after combat, and someone had to provide them. Better that than stealing from those who did.

‘Good luck with it,’ Samson said.

‘Appreciate it. Good luck in what’s to come. Try not to get yourself killed.’

He logged off, leaving Samson to think over what was to come. There was no way the Bounty would be continuing in naval service beyond the arrival of Khaimov’s squadron. With her departure, his tenuous acting lieutenant commandership would go, and he could be reassigned to any part of the galaxy. Had he been told that a couple of weeks earlier, he would have been delighted beyond belief, but now he was very eager to remain on the Frontier. The Frontier was where humanity’s focus would be, and would remain there for the duration of his career, at least.

The exploration and discovery that would take place there in the years to come would answer some of the questions that mankind had entertained since they had first looked up at the stars and wondered. It was what a young Samson, with a head full of idealistic and romantic notions, had joined the Navy for. To be pulled away from that after all he had been through would a cruel punishment indeed. Captain Wright had definitively shown that these aliens weren’t interested in communicating, so Samson hadn’t been wrong in that.

He hoped he would be assigned to one of the ships in Khaimov’s fleet—a sloop, or perhaps a brig. It would probably be a light ship on scouting and surveying duty, where his knowledge would come in handy. It would be more interesting than being a duty officer on one of the larger warships. Small ships were where the excitement was, even if the big ones were where careers were built. Whatever awaited him, it would be a big come-down from his brief taste of command, and as onerous as it had felt at times, he’d grown used to it.

A chime pulled Samson from dreams of glory, defending humanity against alien onslaught. It was a fantasy he’d had since childhood, and he wasn’t altogether certain it had become any more likely an eventuality.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up in bed, and looked around the small officer’s berth to try and order his thoughts back to reality. He was fully clothed. The last thing he remembered was sitting down on it to take off his shoes. They were still on his feet. It had been an exhausting week. He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but it wasn’t long enough. ‘Come in,’ he said.

The door opened, revealing Harper.

‘What is it?’ he said.

‘The sensor buoy we launched. It’s detected something coming out of the Nexus Current.’

‘Where?’

‘About halfway between the star and Holmwood.’

‘Let me guess. Something not of human design.’ Samson’s heart sank. This was the moment he had been dreading—and trying not to think of—ever since they got back to the depot.

‘Looks that way. I’m pretty sure it’s the alien ship.’

‘Who else would it have been?’ Samson sighed and rubbed his face with both hands. ‘This isn’t good. I wonder if they’re here looking for their captured ship? Or maybe recompense for the ones we killed.’

Samson did his best to think clearly. Had he led them back here? Had he been wrong to come back to the depot? Should he have led the aliens on a false trail? Would they have ended up here anyway? This was the centre of human activity in the sector. It seemed likely they’d have paid a visit to this system sooner or later.

‘How long before it’s within range of the depot’s sensors?’ Samson said.

Harper looked back at him and shrugged. ‘It’s only just come out of the Current and hasn’t gotten underway yet. It could be headed for us, or the planet.’

‘I expect it’ll get around to both of us soon enough.’ Samson chewed his lip and thought for a moment. ‘There’s only one way it’s going to go. Prepare the Bounty and be ready to go at a moment’s notice.’

Samson always thought of the depot as being in orbit, but technically it wasn’t. It was sited at one of Holmwood’s Lagrange points. The Lagrange point was a spot where gravitational forces were cancelled out by competing bodies, allowing the depot to remain in position without having to expend any energy to do so. It was far enough away from Holmwood for Samson to be able to tell where the alien warship was headed as soon as it came within range of the depot’s sensors.

It only mattered insofar as it guided his decision on how to proceed. There was no way he could abandon the colonists on Holmwood. If it came for the depot, the decision was made—they would fight there. Perhaps the combination of the Bounty and the depot would be enough to see it off. If it went for Holmwood, he’d have to